Piston ring assembly

A piston of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• a piston body having at least one circumferential groove and at least one piston ring assembly arranged in the at least one circumferential groove, the at least one piston ring assembly including:
• an annular basic body having a gap;
• a cover element covering the gap of the annular basic body;
• the annular basic body having a first end and a second end being arranged adjacent to another separated by the gap, the basic body having a radial outer face and a radial inner face, the basic body having a first axial face and a second axial face, wherein the basic body has a first recess at the first end and has a second recess at the second end such that the first and second recesses leave a respective protrusion at the first end and at the second end, and wherein a distance between the respective protrusions as measured between corresponding ends of the respective protrusions is greater than a width of the gap as measured between the first end and the second end of the basic body, wherein the first and second recesses are on the radial outer face;
• the cover element having a first lateral portion, a middle portion and a second lateral portion, the middle portion located between the first and second lateral portions, the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion each having a third recess;
• wherein the cover element is located at basic body such that the middle portion of the cover element covers the gap of the basic body and each respective protrusion of the first end and the second end of the basic body is located in the respective third recess of the first and second lateral portion of the cover element;
• and
• wherein a shape of the first recess at the first end and of the second recess at the second end is c-shaped each defining an upper leg and a lower leg extending in a circumferential direction and a middle leg extending in an axial direction leaving the respective protrusions between the upper leg and the lower leg with the middle leg between the respective protrusion and a corresponding one of the first end and the second end.

An internal combustion engine, comprising:

• at least one piston, the at least one piston including:
• a piston body having at least one circumferential groove and at least one piston ring assembly arranged in the at least one circumferential groove, the at least one piston ring assembly including:
• an annular basic body having a gap;
• a cover element covering the gap of the annular basic body;
• the annular basic body having a first end and a second end being arranged adjacent to another separated by the gap, the basic body having a radial outer face and a radial inner face, the basic body having a first axial face and a second axial face, wherein the basic body has a first recess at the first end and has a second recess at the second end such that the first and second recesses leave a respective protrusion at the first end and at the second end;
• the cover element having a first lateral portion, a middle portion and a second lateral portion, the middle portion located between the first and second lateral portions, the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion each having a third recess;
• wherein the cover element is located at basic body such that the middle portion of the cover element covers the gap of the basic body and each respective protrusion of the first end and the second end of the basic body is located in the respective third recess of the first and second lateral portion of the cover element;
• and wherein a shape of the first recess at the first end and of the second recess at the second end is c-shaped each defining an upper leg and a lower leg extending in a circumferential direction and a middle leg extending in an axial direction leaving the respective protrusions between the upper leg and the lower leg with the middle leg between the respective protrusion and a corresponding one of the first end and the second end.